It’s here. The 38th Ryder Cup is officially underway. And the sun kindly graced us with its presence at the Opening Ceremony beside the 18th fairway this Autumn afternoon. As the 24 golfers chosen to represent the USA and Europe in this historic tournament walked proudly on to the stage, there was little doubt that the battle is about to commence.
There was palpable passion from the crowds as chants of ‘Go Monty!” echoed around the slopes banking up from the temporary auditorium. Then, a sea of cheers began to rumble around the course, as those unable to witness the spectacle ‘front of house’ watched on vast screens scattered around the Celtic Manor Resort. Perhaps ‘McIlroy Mount’ is the new Henman Hill here in Newport? He is, after all one of the fans’ favourites.
But it was down to Captain Colin Montgomerie to set the tone for his team with an emotional speech – there was no doubt, he was on the verge of shedding a tear, as he talked of this being the proudest moment of his golfing career. Wearing a midnight blue chalk-stripe wool suit, with a white waffle shirt and blue pattern tie, designed in conjunction with Italian luxury label Canali specially for the event, he stood tall, as he addressed his team and millions of TV viewers around the world.
“To the 12 men on this stage, whom I’m so proud to stand in front of them as their Captain, who’ll play the game with their hearts, with passion and purpose, and have all earned selection by raw talent, hard work and also dedication to the game. As each of you takes your place as a player here at Celtic Manor, you know that your name will be written into the rich history of The Ryder Cup… forever!”
And, the dozen professional golfers assembled to play for Europe, each stood in turn to rapturous applause, wearing the same dapper attire as their Captain, to be welcomed by their fans. As European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, had stated in his opening speech earlier in the afternoon: “The European flag has 12 stars: so does Colin Montgomerie’s team.”
But, of course, it wasn’t just the European Team on stage. To their left sat the men who will try to retain the gold trophy they’ve held on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean for the past two years. Led by Captain Corey Pavin, and clothed in bitter chocolate pinstripe single-breasted suits and tan lace-up shoes, the US Ryder Cup Team took their places to be welcomed to Wales on this momentous occasion.
There, too, were the wives and partners of the international players: Gaynor Montgomerie and her fellow Europeans were clad in cream double-breasted moufflon coats by Irish designer Paul Costelloe, accessorised with nude footwear and ‘European blue’ scarves. Lisa Pavin and her female compatriots opted for a similar coat shape in pillarbox red, with an open funnel collar that almost mirrored the ladies from the European camp.
And, for the golfers amongst you, the pairings tomorrow? Either Phil Mickelson or Dustin Johnson will hit the first ball for the US, before taking on Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer in the first fourball match of the tournament. Then it will be the turn of the Northern Irish boys – Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell – to try and take a point for Europe from Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar. Third on the tee, Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker will be out to beat Englishmen Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher. And finally, Luke Donald and wild card pick Padraig Harrington are on duty to represent Europe against Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton. The clock is ticking…
30/09/2010 21:01
Let the battle commence...
There really are no words to describe the euphoria that swept the fairways of Celtic Manor this afternoon, as Colin Montgomerie’s embattled men reclaimed the Samuel Ryder Cup as their own. As the sun shone brightly over the picturesque Usk Valley, this lush pocket of south Wales saw a groundswell of European pride emerging from the sodden earth. The air was filled with raw emotion as complete strangers hugged and patted each other on the back. Tears streamed down the cheeks of grown men, who cheered with booming voices, and mothers clung to bewildered children who knew only that they had never before seen anything like this – and may never do so again.
History is being made in this, the 38th Ryder Cup. For some, they’ll be delighted this event is going down in the record books: for others, they might prefer to banish the memories and move on....
For the fans, the key lesson from yesterday’s shenanigans was to think carefully about their attire so they could survive the sporting marathon. The merchandise pavilion in the tented village has virtually sold out of waterproof gear, and supplies of the official Ryder Cup umbrellas were gone before a ball was hit in anger. So, spectators came prepared in all manner of garb, to show their allegiances, while somehow keeping dry and warm.
As European Team Captain Colin Montgomerie’s predecessor, Sir Nick Faldo waved goodbye to the Ryder Cup in the Kentucky sunshine two years ago, and quipped: “See you in Wales – and bring your waterproofs.”
While the US and European Teams battle it out on the fairways at Celtic Manor, one newlywed couple in the crowd is flying the flag for both teams ....
